Words Unspoken
by falbreezy
Summary: I liked looking at the places around me; the way the sun hit the greens leaves of the trees in spring, the brown color of tree bark after it rained. It gave me sense of home. It made me remember the things that I once held so close to my heart. KyoyaXOC (poignant, slow-paced, and oddly romantic, this story will make you think about the world in a different light)
1. First day

The sky wasn't blue that day. It was instead a rather gloomy shade of grey. I looked up, smirking, and thought about how fitting the world seemed to be at that moment. I liked looking at the places around me; the way the sun hit the green leaves of the trees in spring, the brown color of tree bark after it rained. It gave me a sense of home. It made me remember the things that I once held so close to my heart.

You see, life wasn't exactly my best friend. It had these ways of making me feel on top of the world, before taking out a baseball bat and beating me down. It was like I couldn't be happy for more than a few seconds at a time. When I was fourteen, for example, I had a huge crush on this one boy. He had dark hair and dark eyes, and every detail about him was utterly compelling. I wouldn't say that I liked him for his looks, though they did play a role in my fascination, but rather that I found his intelligence attractive. He was the only kid in class smarter than me. No one had ever outranked me in any classes, so the fact that he scored higher was kinda refreshing.

Anyways, one day I came into class and there was a love letter sitting on my desk. It was from him. I was ecstatic, and rushed to open it. I hoped it would say something along the lines of "My dearest Chieko, your great wisdom and beauty has caused me to fall in love with you." But no, as I seem to be cursed with bad luck, it said nothing along those lines. In fact, it wasn't even addressed to me. He'd accidentally put it on my desk. It was made out to that stupid American transfer student who was constantly looking at herself in her phone screen and reapplying lip gloss. I didn't blame him for thinking she was hot. I mean, she had huge boobs and straight blonde hair. She was just dumb as a rock. Why would he ever like someone that stupid?

That's when it hit me- guys didn't want girls for their brains. All they wanted was short skirts and perfectly styled hair. It didn't matter that you were failing all of your school work, as long as you looked like you belonged on the cover of sports illustrated. I couldn't go through life as the nerd girl, expecting my ability to solve long equations to hide the fact that I wore thick glasses and had a little extra body fluff. If I wanted boys to like me, I had to become a better version of me.

That's how I became who I am today, and that's how I got to that day. That day when the sky had lost it's blue. Now to explain to you why I was so sad on that particular day- I was starting school at some fancy academy place. An institution swarming with rich kids and people who never had to do anything for themselves. Honest to god, I would rather have jumped into a pool of ravenous sharks than to have walked through those large school gates, but I had no choice. My billionaire grandfather had laid down on his death bed and said "Chieko, I know you've enjoyed living on your own this whole time, and acting like some sort of commoner, but as my dying wish I only want one thing of you. I just want you to act like a member of the Katsuhida family for once. I'm not asking you to wear fancy gowns and go to balls, just to carry on the family legacy at Ouran Academy. Four generations of our family have walked through those halls, and I want you to be part of the mark we have left at that school. I have already enrolled you and paid for your whole run, and I left several million yen in your bank account in case of emergency... blah blah blah"

In the end, I felt it only respectable listen to his final wish. After all, Ouran academy would look great on my college resume, even if it was full of snobs and slackers. I had to make the most of it. I may have had bad luck, or at least thought I had bad luck, but I was given the life that I led for a reason. And that reason was most likely (and most logically) to live it.

***Later that Day***

"Class, I would like you to introduce you to your newest student. Her name is Chieko Katsuhida, and she will be joining us for the rest of the year." The teacher looked at me nervously, as if she was intimidated by my presence. All the teachers seemed to look at me this way, ever since the problem I'd had with the school uniform manager that morning. "Ms. Katsuhida, take a seat wherever you'd like."

Lazily, I headed towards an empty seat in the back corner near the window and tossed my bag to the side, before sitting down in the oddly nice wooden chair. I sighed, closing my eyes and hoping that the bell would ring soon so that I could go home. I managed to sit through most of the class in peace, until some idiot behind me decided to butt in and ruin my daydreaming.

"Mr. Ootori, do you have the answer to the equation on the board?" The teacher asked, looking towards the kid sitting beside me. He was very attractive, with mysterious dark eyes and hair, but I wouldn't consider him my type. He was probably stuck up and stupid like everyone else at that school.

"Yes I do." He responded without looking up from his notes. "But I'm sure Ms. Katsuhida would like a chance to answer a question. She must be very eager to learn, being a new student and all." That's when he looked up and stared at me almost mockingly; a small smirk dancing across his features. _God Damnit_, I thought, _he must've noticed that I wasn't paying attention. Whatever, I'll be able to solve whatever freaking problem is up there. After all, I am at the top of my class._

I laughed when I saw the equation they wanted me to solve. It was just like any of the other equations I used to solve to help practice for math competitions- basic calculus. "The answer is 21." I said casually, as if I studied calculus all the time. The teacher's jaw dropped. All of a sudden I heard people whispering to each other around the room.

"So she's both hot and smart. I wouldn't mind dating her." Said one boy to another.

"What's her family business?" One girl questioned her friend. "And what the heck is she wearing?!"

_Oh yeah_. I'd forgotten about how odd I probably looked to all the other students. You see, I'd cut up my uniform and made it into a cute, strapless mini dress. I'd gotten rid of the atrocious white collar, and recycled the pink bow into a sash that tied around my waist. Finally, I replaced the ugly brown boat shoes with a pair of heels. Overall, I looked freaking sexy, and I wasn't afraid to admit it. The uniform manager had given me problems at first, but I pulled out the student handbook and read the dress code to her: "All students must wear their designated uniforms at all times, correct?"

"Correct." She replied with a confused tone, unaware of where I was going with this.

"It doesn't say HOW we have to wear our uniforms, just that we have to wear them. Clearly I am wearing the full Ouran uniform, I'm just wearing it differently than everyone else is. Therefore, you are wrong and I am right. Have a nice day."

I probably could've been a little bit nicer to her, but to be completely honest I wasn't in the mood to be nice. All I wanted was for the day to be over. I just wanted to return to my peaceful little "commoner house" and make myself some onigiri before watching reruns until I pass out. That was the life.

**DINGDONGDINGYDONGYDINGADINGFRINGFRONG **

(**Note**: Sorry, I got carried away with the bell sound)

The bell signaled the end of the school day. I quickly gathered up my belongings, before heading out of the classroom. I ignored the stares everybody was giving me as I trudged my way down the hall, not paying attention to anyone around me. I think that after years of being treated like the invisible girl by everyone I'd ever tried to make friends with, I was sort of socially and emotionally scarred, and once everybody started trying to be my friends for once, the tables turned and I began tuning them out.

I was almost to the end of the hall, I could see the light of the outside world! Only a few more yards and I'd be there...

Too bad I never did make it to the light, because I ended up running into some idiot before I made it to the doors. The contents of my bag flew everywhere, and my papers fell out of all of my binders. I scrambled to pick up my items, shoving them in the bag haphazardly and hoping that whoever I ran into would keep walking without helping me. I didn't need help, and I definitely didn't want it from some snobby rich kid.

"Do you need my assistance in picking up your belongings? It is partially my fault that you dropped your bag; I should've watched where I was going." A smooth, familiar voice questioned me. It was the voice of the glasses kid from calculus. "Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Most students are excited to attend on their first day." He added.

"Well, I'm not most students." I looked up at him as I stuffed the remainder of my books into my school bag. He really was attractive, and he seemed to be slightly different than everyone else. He seemed, I don't know, cooler. Less like a snob.

"Do you not find the academy to provide a satisfactory atmosphere?" He smirked. "Or do you just find joy in ignoring everyone around you?"

"Everyone here is a snobby rich kid, definitely not the type of people I would enjoy associating with." I began to stand up. He offered me his hand, but I ignored it. I didn't need his help to stand up, I had two feet of my own.

"Aren't you the snob? You're the one who decides to make a whole deal of altering your uniform, an obvious sign that you crave attention. But when people try to socialize with you, you turn them down. It's as though you don't think they're worthy of you." He looked at me as though I was just a specimen in an experiment, examining my every move, but he acted so cooly while doing so. The way he was able to read my actions without even knowing me was infuriating. It pissed me off.

"Look, Ootori." I looked him right in the eyes, as if challenging him. "I don't need your crap. You're just another rich kid who can't do anything for himself, so leave me alone." I turned away from him and ran, in the opposite direction of the school's exit. At the moment I wasn't quite thinking about the fact that I should've been running the other way down the hall. In fact, I wasn't really thinking at all. I was just angry. His words kept running through my head, _aren't you the snob. _Yes! He was fucking right, maybe I was a snob. Maybe I did do things for attention, and then turned down the attention I craved so much. I was a walking contradiction. I said that I didn't want to associate myself with a bunch of snobs, but by doing so I was being a snob myself.

I just needed to find somewhere where I could be alone, where I could sit by myself and think- **without **scrutinizing attractive men wearing glasses. I turned down another hall and found myself standing in front of an abandoned music room, _perfect. There's no way anyone is in here, I can finally be alone. _

When I turned the handle to that big white door, I didn't realize that I was performing the action that would decide my entire future. By opening the door to that music room, I was sealing my fate, and I'm still not sure if it was a good or bad thing.

"Welcome."

**Ok guys, this is a test chapter. I hope that I get positive feedback, I'm excited for this fic. Btw I need fanart of Cheiko for the fic's cover picture. Here's some info:**

**Age: 16**

**Eyes:Dark Brown (but she wears colored contacts to make them blue)**

**Hair: Black, curly and long. Curly like candlestick also has side bangs **

**Body Type: Curvy and fit. Relatively big bust, but not huge. When she was younger she was chubby, but she started going to the gym after the whole "love letter scene" She soon had a really nice body**

**Clothes: Altered uniform. **_**IMPORTANT:**_** She wears a brown leather cord around her neck at ALL times. It's important to the plotline**

**Message me if you're interested in doing the cover art! Please R+R**


	2. This girl is on FIIIRRRE! (literally)

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I love reviews, they help make my writing better. Plus they fuel my ego (at least I'm being honest) :D**

**Chieko: Shut up and start writing**

**Kyoya: Don't rush her, unless you want your character's progression to be faulty**

**Chieko: Shut up you snobby glasses man!**

"Welcome"

_God dang it's bright, and what's with all the flower petals?_ I squinted my eyes, trying to shield out the bright white light, and swatted some rose petals out of my face. As the light slowly dimmed away, a group of six attractive boys appeared in front of me. (**note: not seven, because Kyoya was off running an errand for the club**) One in particular caught my eye. He was very princely looking, with violet eyes and blonde hair. He seemed cute. That is, until he opened his mouth.

"Hello princess, I see you're new here. Welcome to our land of beauty!" He grabbed my hand and kissed it gently, looking up at me with those strange purple eyes.

"Well, it looks like I made a wrong turn somewhere. I didn't mean to end up in some gay love party." I chuckled dryly, even though the blonde guy didn't seem to find my joke funny at all. He ran away and started growing mushrooms in a corner. I turned around to head back out of the music room, because there was no way I was going to find any peace in quiet in there. I was about to open the door when someone on the other side decided to come in, coincidentally, at the same time as I was standing in front of the doorway. _**BAM **__Great, it's my first day at this school and I'm already getting hit with doors and knocked down by weird glasses men. This is going to be a long year._

The room started fading into black, and I felt a searing pain in my head. _Ouch_. Slowly, I crumpled to the ground, before passing out.

You see, this is what I meant when I said I had bad luck. I always end up getting the opposite of what I want. Today for example; all I wanted was to go home to my peaceful, quiet apartment. Instead I end up getting hit in the face with a door and passing out in a room full of strange men, who could've been rapists for all I knew. That's just how much fate hates me; it goes out of it's way to make me as miserable as possible, and it's doing a mighty fine job of it.

What felt like a few minutes later, I gingerly opened my eyes and allowed them to adjust to the light. To my surprise, there was a boy standing above me holding a cold towel on my head. He looked very feminine, with big brown eyes and girlish features, but I assumed that puberty just hadn't quite made it to him yet. He had to have been a boy- he was wearing the male uniform, and I didn't know a lot of snobby rich girls who would dress like a dude. A part of me told me I was wrong though. My female senses were tingling, and something seemed off with this guy (girl?)

"Are you ok? You got hit pretty hard." He/She looked down at me, and a warmness spread throughout my body. His/her eyes were so beautiful and kind, and the way he/she looked at you like he/she really cared about you gave me a motherly vibe. I tried to lift myself off the ground, as I didn't really enjoy laying on the dirty floor. Heaven knows what kind of germs were there. But as I attempted to sit up my head started pounding like crazy and I fell back down to the ground. _God damnit, I spent hours doing my hair this morning just to get it all dirty. This sucks. _"You shouldn't try to sit up for a while. Just keep laying down until you feel better, ok? By the way, my name is Haruhi Fujioka. I haven't seen you around the school before. Are you new here?"

"Yes, she's a new student in class 2 with Tamaki and I. Her name is Chieko Katsuhida." A smooth voice answered for me, and it wasn't just any smooth voice, it was the voice of the glasses man- Kyoya Ootori. I groaned, _why did he have to be involved in everything_. "My apologies for hitting you with the door. Let me help you off the ground in return, heaven knows what kind of germs are down there." He practically read my thoughts, just like he'd done in the hallway earlier, and it was frustrating. I was surprised when he leaned down and wrapped his arms around me, picking me up like I was a feather. _Wow, glasses man must work out. He's got some serious arm muscles._

I hate to admit it, but my stomach did flutter a little bit as he carried me to one of the couches and carefully laid me down. Hey, it's not everyday that an attractive guy picks you up all macho like. Cut me some slack. "Thanks." I told him, trying to add as much venom into that one word as possible. I still hadn't forgotten about what happened in the hallway earlier.

"Wow Kyoya, what'd you do to this girl to get her to hate you so much?" A ginger kid smirked devilishly; he looked like trouble. Standing behind him was a boy who I guess was his twin, because they were carbon copies of each other. The other ginger added "Maybe he just was his grumpy old self." I chuckled at this, I was enjoying this miniature burn session.

"Do you know this girl Kyo-chan?" An adorable little boy said. He appeared to be an elementary schooler, yet he was wearing the official Ouran uniform. Puberty DEFINITELY hadn't made it to him yet. "She's cute. And look at her eyes, what a lovely shade of blue. I've never seen eyes that blue before. Have you Mori?" There was a tall, stoic looking guy standing over the little boy protectively. He must've been Mori. Whoever he was, he gave me the heebie jeebies. He looked like some sort of mob boss.

"I agree Honey. They seem almost..._ unreal._" Kyoya once again replied to a question he wasn't even asked. He was starting to get on my nerves, especially by the way he said unreal, like he knew my secret. It was impossible though, the contacts I wore were the most natural looking colored contacts in the world. No one could ever tell that my eyes weren't naturally blue. It even fooled me sometimes.

"I'm sorry princess Chieko, I'm afraid we haven't introduced ourselves yet. We are the *Ouran Highschool host Club!*" The blonde smiled enthusiastically. I came to the conclusion that he was a maniac; a hot maniac, but he was still a maniac. "What kind of guys are you interested in? There's the little devil type- Kaoru and Hikaru..." He signaled to the twins, who both smirked simultaneously. "...the loli-shota type- Honey..." He pointed to the little boy, who gave an adorable grin. "... the mysterious type- Mori..." The tall stoic guy didn't react when his name was called. "...the natural type- Haruhi..." He pointed to the he/she with the gorgeous eyes, and he/she smiled pleasantly. "...the cool type- Kyoya." Kyoya looked up from the notebook he seemed to constantly be taking notes in.

"...and then there's me, the princely type." He grabbed my hand and looked deep into my eyes. I felt little butterflies in my tummy as he leaned up to whisper in my ear. I wasn't used to people, let alone hot guys, holding my hand or anything like that. "What do you say, princess? Who do you like best?"

"I- umm- uhh..." I'd never been unable to think straight, but at that moment I couldn't think at all. I could feel my face burning red. "I think my head feels better. Thanks for helping me Haruhi, but I'm going to go home now. Bye!" I practically jumped off the couch where I was laying. I didn't have time for this, I could be at home watching reruns of doctor who.

"Bye Chie-chan! Come by tomorrow!" Honey called as I ran out of the music room. I couldn't wait to get home.

**At the apartment**

"What the hell?!" I stared up at my burning apartment building. That's it, fate definitely hated me. I had to find a way to get inside my apartment, everything I owned was in there. All of the yen my grandfather had given me, all of my clothes, all of my memories... I couldn't let them burn. This was one thing I wasn't going to let my bad luck take from me. I ran up the very unstable metal stairs that led to my home. I knew this wasn't a good idea, but I didn't care.

When I made it to my door, I could see that the flames hadn't quite reached the second floor yet. I had time to get my stuff. I yanked the handle open and hurried inside, grabbing everything of importance. I went into my room and stuffed some clothes in a bag, grabbed my mother's jewelry, took my father's briefcase, and finally found my pocketbook full of money. All of my life's savings. In the end I had several bags of stuff, and just enough time to get outside before the flames would reach my floor.

But then I heard it, faint and small. It was a cry coming from next door. _Shit. _My neighbor had two kids, one who was 9 and one who was 4. She left them home alone twice a week when she had to work late, and I would usually go over there and check up on them. I guess she'd had to work overtime tonight, and that meant that the children were stuck in the apartment. By themselves. I dropped my bags, everything I owned, and ran towards the door. Sitting on the coffee table in my living room was the leather cord my dad had given me the day before the accident. I snatched it up and shoved it in my pocket as a reminder, I just needed something to remember them, even if it was a cheap bit of leather. With one final look at my home, I turned around and walked out the door. I needed to get to the kids.

The fire was just reaching the second floor when I got to the children. Usui, who was 9, was laying over his baby sister. She wasn't moving. Usui looked up at me with teary eyes, and started sobbing. "Chie-chan, chie-chan! Umi is hurt! We got scared of the fire and she freaked out and fell and hit her head. She won't move!"

"Calm down honey, it's gonna be ok. I'm gonna need you to be a big boy now, ok?" I grabbed his little hands in mine and tried to sound as comforting as I could. He nodded his head. "Alright, now listen. The stairs outside are broken and we can't use them to get down. I need you to get some rope out of the utility closet while I help Umieko."

I watched him run down the hall and open the closet door, scrambling to find some rope. Then I looked down at little Umieko's limp body. I needed to get her some help quick, I couldn't waste any more time. I picked her up and slung her over my shoulder, before grabbing the rope that Usui had retrieved for me.

"Come on! We have to hurry!" I yelled over the fire, which was now raging through the apartment. I grabbed Usui's hand and pulled him behind me, and I made a beeline straight towards the door.

What I saw when I opened the door killed me. The whole deck had collapsed, leaving no way to get down at all, and we only had enough rope to hoist one person to the ground. _Crap, I'm gonna have to drop them both at once. I don't know if I have the strength for that. I guess I don't have any other option though. _I tied the roped around both of the children's midriffs, double knotting it to make sure the knot wouldn't untie.

"MY BABIES!" I heard Ms. Takumi yell from the ground. She was staring right at us, tears running down her face. It wasn't until that moment that I realized that I was also crying.

"Usui, I'm gonna slowly lower you guys to the bottom. When you get down there go and tell your mother what happened to Umi. Ok? And then tell her to tell Yuki that I'm sorry." I was crying for the first time in a while; I didn't usually show my emotions.

"Yuki? Your cousin Yuki? Why? You're coming with us too Chie-chan, right?! Aren't you going to be ok?!" The sadness in the child's voice broke my heart, but I couldn't make him any promises I wouldn't keep.

"No honey, I'm gonna stay here for now. All that's important is getting you to the bottom."

**NO POV**

It was later than he'd expected when Kyoya left the host club. This wasn't surprising though, as he usually ended up staying at the club late. He had a lot of errands to run.

"Mr. Ootori? Would you like me to take the back path to the manor?" The driver of the limousine asked him, worry laced in his tone.

"For what reason?" Kyoya questioned, not looking up from his notebook.

"There's a huge fire raging at the apartments down there. It could be dangerous."

That's when Kyoya snapped into attention. He dropped his notebook on the floor, and a deadly look crossed his features. "Drive straight to the fire, now. I know someone who lives in those apartments. A friend, you could say." He kept his tone steady, but he was worried. If his background check on Chieko had been correct, she lived in that complex, and was possibly in danger.

When they got to the scene of the fire Kyoya immediately jumped out of the car and examined his surroundings. A few feet away from him sat a middle aged woman and two children; the smaller child was being checked out by a doctor.

"Chie-chan told me to tell you that she says sorry to Yuki." The child sobbed into his mother's arms. "She said she's gonna stay in the fire. She said she can't come down."

"That's not true honey! The firefighters will be here soon and are gonna save her." The mom tried to reassure the boy, but she didn't sound so convinced herself.

"_HELP!_" A terrified scream came from the second floor, and that's when he finally saw her. Her uniform was blackened and burned, and her skin was covered in soot. She was nearly unrecognizable, but he knew it was Chieko. She was hanging from the ledge with dear life,

"Chie! Someone help her please. She saved my children, she gave her life for my kids. She doesn't deserve to die!" The mother of the children was wailing now. Kyoya new he had to save her, but for once in his life he had no solution. The world seemed to stop as he watched her fall to the ground.

**Cliffhanger! (literally) Please review if you wanna find out what happens next!**

**Chieko: I better not die -_-**


	3. Friendship(ish)?

**Hey guys, thanks for the reviews! I love feedback! Many people are saying that they aren't sure about their feelings for Chieko, but that was the whole point of her character; she's a flawed girl who can be a bitch, but in the end she's just a human. She's not just another super perfect OC who all the hosts fall in love with. I tried to make her relatable, as she feels envy and hatred and makes mistakes, just like everyone in the world.**

**Chieko: God you're annoying. Just shut up and write**

**Me: That's not nice. You know I have the ability to kill your character **

**Chieko: Sorry**

**Kyoya: I love chieko lalala she's so lovely lalala**

**Chieko: *punches Kyoya* shut up you stupid attractive glasses man!**

**P.S. This is gonna be a fluffy chapter, because of "XoXILOVEkyoyaXoX" She/he asked for it so I'm giving it!**

"Mr. Ootori, she seems fine. She just has some minor burns from the fire and a few cuts from the fall. You're lucky she didn't land on her back, or she could've seriously been hurt. If you don't mind me asking, who is she to you?" I heard a voice talking, but I didn't move or open my eyes. The person speaking, who I assumed was a nurse, was talking about me. I didn't want her to know that I was listening in on her conversation.

"She's just an old friend of mine. Nothing else." That ever so familiar silky voice responded to the nurse's question. _An old friend, what the hell is that crazy glasses man talking about? I didn't even know him before today. Wait a minute; did he save me? _The memories came flooding back as the images of flames encircling me appeared in my mind. My home, my money, my memories... they were all gone. I'd only managed to save that little bit of leather. "Now if you don't mind, could you leave us alone." He asked the lady. Soon after, I heard her walk out of the room and close the door behind her.

"Why do we keep running into each other?" I finally opened my eyes and realized that I was laying in a hospital bed. Kyoya was sitting across from me, still wearing his school uniform.

"Maybe it's fate." He said cooly, a small smirk crossing his features.

"I should've known. Fate always brings me trouble." I replied quickly, chuckling at my own joke.

"Then maybe I'm just attracted to people who seem to cause trouble." He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, and I couldn't see any sign of emotion crossing his face. _Attracted _I blushed _I'm sure he didn't mean it in a flirty way, but rather in a friendly way. _"It was really brave of you to save those children. I'm most impressed by your selflessness. You lost everything in the fire, and you almost lost your life as well. Maybe you aren't as cold hearted as you try to make yourself look."

"So you brought me to the hospital, right?" I looked him right in the eye, but I could only see the outline of his eyes through his glasses. "How am I supposed to pay? I have nothing."

"Don't worry about that. I've made arrangements for you to stay in one of my guest houses until you're able to get back on your feet, and I only have on condition."

"And what would that be?"

"You need to volunteer at the host club. You're pretty, smart, and seem to be popular. Maybe this will be the big chance for you to work on your social skills."

"My social skills! You're the one who's always scribbling in your stupid notebook." I hissed, angry that he would insult my personality. Plus he was making me work with those insufferable idiots. "And I'm not even smart. Don't assume things about people you don't know." 

"Why do you pretend to be stupid? You tested number one in all of Japan. You may be the smartest person at our school."

"How do you know that I placed first?" I was angry now. Did he stalk me or something? 

"I placed 2nd, Ms. Katsuhida. Even with all of my studying and preparation, some girl who didn't even really care about her education beat me. It made me quite bitter" When he said this I became less angry and more mad at myself for being rude to him. I didn't deserve to be first in the nation, and I didn't even want the title, but he did, and I took it from him. "I'm sorry if I've upset you."

"It's ok Kyo-kun, I'm not angry at you. Even if you are a nosy attractive glasses man." I smiled at first, but then I realized what I'd said. I'd called him attractive. I could feel my face burning bright red, and I quickly decided to change the subject. Besides, I probably wasn't the first girl to think he was hot, so it wasn't a big deal. "What would I help with at the host club anyways?"

"Pouring tea, running little errands, etc. Just basic chores. You'll be like our little maid." He laughed. And I don't mean a little chuckle, but an actual full on laugh, and for some reason his laughter made me feel happy. I was glad to see him smile, it suited him better than a smirk. "And you can just call me Kyo, if you want to. You shouldn't mind calling me by a familiar name, since you find me so attractive."

"Don't let your ego blow up! I think everyone in the host club is attractive. That's why you're hosts." I had meant this as a joke, but his smile faded a little bit after I said this. It was a pity.

Gingerly, I pushed myself up and crawled over to wear he was sitting at the foot of the hospital bed. I reached out my hand and touched the corner of his mouth, trying to get it to turn up again. I wanted to see him smile. "Cheer up, Kyo." He looked shocked by this small act of affection, as if no one had ever touched him before.

"Well aren't you being rather friendly towards me, seeing as though I'm just a snobby rich kid who can't do anything for himself. Isn't that what you said earlier?" He chuckled. "I thought you hated me, Ms. Katsuhida."

"I don't hate you, and I don't like you. You're just slightly better than everyone else at that academy. And you can call me Chie, as long as you only say it when we're alone. I don't want other people to see that I'm a fully functioning human being who can make friends."

"Oh of course not, you already have a reputation of having a heart made out of stone, but some people are going to take that as a challenge." And queue the rapid butterflies in my stomach. Oh dear god the way he looked at me when he said that made my tummy do flips. _What are you doing Chieko! Get a hold of yourself! He's just another stupid rich kid, and you've only known him for a day. Even if he is hot and smart.. _"And are implying that you want to be alone with me when you say you only want me to call you Chie when we're alone?"

"Not at all!" I lied. "I would rather be alone. I prefer peace and quiet to some glasses man who only brings me trouble."

"That's too bad, since you're going home with me. I'm afraid that you're going to have to put up with me for the time being." With that he stood up from my bed and walked out of the room, leaving me speechless.

**The Next Morning**

The ride to Ouran was silence. Kyoya hadn't really talked to me since our conversation in the hospital, even though I was staying in his guest house. Maybe I was wrong about him, and he was just another snobby rich kid... maybe yesterday night meant nothing. My heart ached a little bit when I thought about this, because I'd honestly considered Kyoya to be a potential friend. It was probably just over medication from the doctors; I should've known that I'd never find someone who I could open up to.

He sat beside me, jotting down notes in that stupid notebook of his. I wondered what he was writing about,_ maybe it's a diary? Haha no, he isn't the type to pour his heart into some inanimate object. Actually, he's not really the type to pour his heart into anything at all. _

"How was your room?" He broke the silence, but still didn't look up from his notes. This annoyed me. How were you able to talk to a person without at least pretending you cared about what they had to say, and you can't even bring yourself to take your eyes off of what you're doing to have a conversation?

"It was nice. Thanks." I grumbled, looking out my window. If he wasn't going to look at me while we were talking, I was going to do the same to him. "Did you do this?" I casually pointed at the leather cord from the fire, which someone had double-knotted like a necklace around my neck. It was kind of creepy thinking that someone had been messing with me while I was sleeping, but I guess in the end it was a kind gesture.

"Yes. I figured you'd want to keep it safe, and there's no safer place than your own neck." He still was taking notes, and it still bothered me, yet I was touched that he would take the time to think about me. 

"You're a nice guy, Kyo." I said casually, pretending that calling him by his new nickname didn't make me feel all fuzzy inside. Besides, I was still angry at him, and I couldn't let some stupid happy emotions take a hold of me. A strong person didn't let emotions control them. **(note: Isn't this a little ironic of her? She doesn't realize that her anger is also an emotion -_-)**

**I know this was a short chapter, sorry! The next one will be better. Remember to R+R :)**


	4. Gardens

**Oh my gosh guys, I am so sorry! I haven't updated in forever, because I've been so busy with school. Forgive me? As soon as I got home from school today I sat down with some popcorn (my mad cooking skills) and began writing. Love y'all!**

The day went by the same way it had for the last week- monotonously. Everyday was the same; I'd ride to school with Kyoya in silence, stare at the walls during class, and then run errands for the club until the limo came to pick us up. I guess Hikaru and Kaoru kept the time vaguely interesting, what with their pranks and sarcasm, but all in all something still felt like it was missing. It was as though I was actually alone, even though I was surrounded by people.

"Chieko-chan, are you alright?" Honey sat down beside me on the couch, his voice laced with concern. "You look so sad."

I smiled, trying to cover up how I actually felt. "I'm fine, but thank you for the concern. I just think I've been a bit sick is all."

"Oh no! We can't have that!" He jumped up and ran towards the buffet table, his bunny in tow. I watched as he carefully picked out a light blue frosted cake and a pink sprinkled donut, put them on two china plates, and walked back towards me. "Here ya go, cake makes everything better." Honey grinned while setting the little cake in front of me. Frankly, I was shocked. I wasn't really used to people caring about me.

"Th-thanks. That's really nice of you." I picked up my silver fork and took a small bite, letting the melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness overwhelm my senses. "Mmmmmm..."

"Haha, looks like Chieko is really enjoying that food." I heard one of the twin's voice as they put their hand on my waist from behind. From the other side another voice spoke up, this one nonchalantly whispering in my ear "Most definitely, maybe we could get her to make that noise."

I blushed beet red and knocked their arms off me, shooting my signature death glare their way. "You guys are a bunch of perverts, it's so freaking annoying. You know I only hang around here because I feel obliged, right?" The words shot out of my mouth before I could really think them through, and I instantly regretted it. It wasn't their fault that I was in such a bad mood lately, and I shouldn't have taken my anger out on them, even if they were being obnoxious. "My apologies, I'm just not feeling very good. I think I'm going to go take a walk. Tell Kyoya that I'll be at the manor late tonight, and that he should leave without me."

With that I stood up and left the room, trying to ignore the stares that I could feel boring into the back of my head. When was finally in the hallway, I let out a deep sigh and tried to calm down. No wonder everyone thought I was a bitch, what with my moody behavior and constant snaps at people, I'd dislike myself as well. I couldn't keep behaving in this manner, especially since Kyoya had gone out of his way to let me stay with him. I'd been working on acting friendlier towards the people in my grade, but I was still struggling, especially when it came to basic social situations. I didn't know why it was so hard for me to simply greet a person. What was wrong with me?

"Hey beautiful, why are you out in the hallway all alone? You need some company?" I looked up to see a rather attractive boy standing a few feet away; his hair was black and tousled in a bad boy sort of manner, and his eyes were a strange greenish brown. I instantly recognized him as Kaneki Ayuzawa- the boy who made my life hell. _Oh no oh no oh no _I thought, _it's him. I didn't know he went to this academy, I thought he went to that specialized engineering school in Tokyo. Wait, why is he acting like he doesn't recognize me?! He bullied me more than all of the other kids combined! _I then remembered how much I'd changed since middle school, and that he probably thought I was a whole other person. I smirked, attempting to make the cutest face I could. 

"I'm sorry, but I'm not into the whole oily hair and unkempt look." I looked him dead in the eye, still smiling sweetly as though I was an innocent school girl. "And you should also try buying some deodorant, because I can smell you from all the way over here."

I saw his face flush completely as his eyes widened in surprise, obviously not expecting that kind of response from such a nice looking girl. "Haha, that joke was a little mean, don't ya think?" He chuckled, leaning closer towards me. "Besides, I do like a girl with a sense of humor."

"I wasn't joking." I turned away from him, keeping my tone as level as possible before walking away. This was sure to leave him upset for a while. Nothing like being completely rejected to destroy an ego, even if his was the size of Jupiter.

*30 minutes later*

I sat alone in a hidden nook I'd found in the gardens. I liked it here, as it gave me a quiet place to think where no one could bother me. I don't know what I found so enjoyable about being by myself, maybe it was the fact that I didn't have to try to impress anyone, or that I could just daydream for hours without people telling me what to do. Either way, the place in the garden let me break down my outer layer and just be myself.

"Oh Chieko, why do you let people get beneath your skin?" I whispered under my breath. "Why do you have to be so weak? You should know better than to throw tantrums, grandfather would be ashamed of you."

It was that moment, looking around at the beautiful flowers around me, that I realized how unimportant I really was. I was just a little lump in this huge world, and one day I'd die and be forgotten, just like the roses surrounding me. I was no one. Sure, maybe I was smart and beautiful, but there were thousands of others like me. I wasn't special, and I never would be. I was just an antisocial jerk who was rude to everyone around her. A single tear slid down my cheek, and I finally let my emotions loose. As long as nobody saw me like this, I'd be fine.

"Well, look who we have here. Turns out you do have emotions." Kaneki glared at me, clearly pissed off from before. I quickly wiped the tears off my cheeks and stood up to leave, not wanting to be seen looking so weak, but he grabbed my wrist and yanked me towards him. "Oh no, you aren't getting away this time. I tried being nice before, but you didn't comply, so I'll just have to take what I want." I struggled to break free from his grip, but he was stronger than I'd thought. There was no way I could get out of this one.

He pinned me to the ground, forcing himself on top of me. I knew that even if I screamed no one would hear me, since everyone had probably left, but it was worth a try anyways. I took a deep breath and called out to the first person I thought of, "KYOYA!" The sound was quickly suffocated by Kaneki's lips as he tried to stick his tongue in my mouth- gross. There was no way this was happening to me, it couldn't be. I was not losing my first kiss to some thug.

He lifted his head up and stared down at me like I was a piece of meat, a wild look in his eyes that honestly scared the crap out of me. Finally, I broke, and started full out sobbing. At this point I didn't really care about looking strong. "God, you're hot when you squirm." He whispered into my ear, biting at it before kissing his way down my neck. I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed to whatever god was out there._ Please, someone help me._

"I would suggest you step away from Ms. Chieko, before I force you off of her." That deep, familiar voice said cooly. He'd heard me.

"Haha buddy, calm down. I'm just trying to have a bit of fun. You can play with her when I'm done, she's just a stupid bitch anyways." Kaneki laughed, still holding me to the ground. I looked up to see a look of pure hatred cross Kyoya's face; and it was the most terrifying thing I'd ever seen.

"How dare you refer to a lady in such a manner?" He practically spit, his glasses flashing dangerously. Then, faster than a shadow in the night, he had pulled Kaneki off of me and thrown him against the wall. "Do you think she's just a thing that you can simply play with?" He said as he stared my attacker dead in the eye. "Answer me."

"N-no. I'm sorry, I didn't know she was yours man. I don't mess with other guys property, I swear it won't happen again, just let me go."

"You're right in the fact that it won't happen again, because I am going to have you arrested by the Ootori private police force. Scum like you do not deserve to walk these halls." He was so mad that he was shaking, and I thought that he was going to hurt Kaneki.

"Kyo, stop. Please. Just leave him be so we can forget about it and go home." I said, hiding my face so that he couldn't tell I was crying.

"Ms. Chieko, he's hurt you. This is completely unacceptable, and I don't understand why you would be ok with this sort of behavior, let alone let it go without any form of punishment."

"He's scared out of his mind. If we just let him go now, he's sure not to mess with anyone again." I looked down at my dirty uniform and scratched up hands, ashamed that I'd been so fragile. I didn't want to play damsel in distress. "I just wanna go home."

"Fine, if that's what you really want, then so be it. But if I hear anything else about this young man acting out, I will personally give him the punishment he deserves."

He let go of Kaneki, who ran away as fast as he could, before reaching out his hand to help me. I hesitated upon taking it, but figured that I'd already buried myself deep enough; I'd proven that even I needed help sometimes. I felt even more disappointed in myself as warm tears flowed down my cheeks, plopping to the ground like raindrops.

"Don't cry. I really do abhor seeing people upset." He looked straight at me with those deep brown eyes, and I felt my heart warm up a little bit (**note:** heart of ice is melting. I know I know cliche)

"I'm sorry, crying is just a typical reaction to being attacked." I chuckled dryly, but the look he gave me showed that he wasn't in the mood for joking. "Thanks. Ya know, for saving me and all."

"You're lucky that I was nearby when you called for me, or else you would have ended up very hurt by Kaneki. I know you think you're strong and don't need help from anyone, but you need to remember that you are, in the end, only a girl."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?!" I puffed angrily, confused by his words. What did my gender have to do with any of this?

"You are a very beautiful young lady, Ms. Katsuhida, and some will want to take advantage of that." His voice then deepened, and his grip on my shoulders tightened. "Even I could harm you right now if I felt like it."

I blinked, and then realized how close he was to me. We were only a few inches apart, and I could feel his breath against my skin. I felt myself redden as I took a shaky breath, "I know that I'm not strong, and I can't always fend for myself, but I don't want to burden someone by constantly making them have to rescue me. I don't want to be another fairytail princess who needs a prince."

"For a girl so smart, you really are stupid. If I thought you to be a burden, I wouldn't let you stay in my guest house, and definitely wouldn't be talking to you right now."

"That doesn't take away from the fact that I take trouble with my everywhere I go."

"I do admit that you seem to be rather unlucky, but that doesn't bother me. I don't mind being your metaphorical prince."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure..." He paused, and I watched that familiar smirk cross his features. "you earn the club a lot of money with your maid services."

"Wow, for a second there I thought you actually had a heart. I should've known better." Laughing, I turned around and looked out at the sunsetting. "We should probably get home, it's late and you know how your father gets when you're late."

In that garden I'd always felt so alone, like I was the only person in the world, but at that moment I knew that I actually had people looking out for me, and I always had. I just never took enough time to stop and realize how lucky I was just for living. I had three meals a day, clean clothes, and a roof over my head, plus a club full of odd goofballs that were always trying to make me smile.

And slowly, day by day, the wall I'd been building to hide myself was falling apart.

**Yeah, I know this chapter sucked. Please forgive me! I promise this will never happen again *puppy eyes* So R+R? :D**


	5. The Beach- Part 1

**Hey y'all! I am so happy for the great response, I can't thank you guys enough for supporting my writing. You are my motivation to continue. Reviews are seriously like fuel **

**guest #1: Twins fan? That's good, because I was actually going to meld them a little into the story. Let's just say that you can't have a good fic without a love triangle, and I think we could add some Hikaru into this equation ;) **

**jazzy-booey: I like the way they're personalities compliment each others, but sometimes when I'm writing for Chieko's personality I get annoyed by her social problems. Her and Kyoya are both bad with their emotions, so just writing for them makes me mad at them **

**guest #2: Thank you so much, that really means a lot to me **

**guest #3: Cliffhangers are wonderful, they give me power! Mwahahaha**

**Strawberryneko7: :3**

**Everyone else: I PROMISE I'LL KEEP UPDATING!**

*Week Four at Ouran*

The sun shone through the huge window in my bedroom, illuminating the silver mirror on my bedside table and causing quite a beautiful effect. I sighed peacefully, happy to finally have a day off from the club and to actually get the alone time I've been so desperately wishing for.

I stretched my arms above my head and took a moment to enjoy the blissful serenity of my bedroom, before sliding both feet over the side of my bed and taking the first wobbly steps of the day. I'd never been a morning person, but sadly the Ootori's always ate breakfast at 8 oclock sharp, so I'd either have to wake up early or go hungry through out the day. When I opened my large bedroom door, I'd expected for the usual smell of eggs and sausage to permeate the air, but to my disdain there was only the familiar scent of windex mixed with chai tea.

"Hey Katsumi, am I crazy or have you not started breakfast yet?" I asked the maid who was responsible for cooking my meals. She just looked back at me, her long silvery black hair pulled into a braid down her back, and signaled towards the dining room. I smiled and felt my stomach growl in anticipation. The one thing I did not expect to see when I finally got to the table was Kyoya sitting in my chair.

"Good morning, Ms. Chieko. How did you sleep last night?" He asked, looking down at the stupid notebook he always seemed to have with him.

"Oh I was grand, but I just have a few questions." I said, a bit of annoyance lacing my tone.

"First, why are you here at the guest house instead of with your family, and second, where is breakfast?"

I was the only person who stayed in that house other than my three maids, Katsumi, Touka, and Ami. Most of my time there was spent either lounging in the pool or looking at the fancy artwork, and I'd never had any of the Ootori's visit me or really even acknowledge that I was kind of living with them. I mean, I'd met Mrs. Ootori once, but that was only because I went to the main manor one time to ask for some more toilet paper (she just told me to wait and the maids would get some) I was also 99% sure that Kyoya had just told his dad that I was a business friend, so that he wouldn't get suspicious or even bother noticing me.

"To answer your first question, I'm here to get for some very important club business," I watched a smirk grace his features "and for your second question, we aren't eating breakfast today."

"Hold up you crazy glasses man, breakfast is the most important meal of the day! I can't survive without three meals a day." I feigned dying, falling towards him dramatically. "And what do you mean important club business?"

"The club is hosting it's 1st annual beach day. It'll be a great way to make profits, and we need you there to serve drinks." He stated matter of factually, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"You know how I am in social situations. I'll probably turn people away, me being a heartless ice queen and all." I winked at him, and was happy to see a smile replace his smirk. I loved how he looked when he was actually smiling instead of just forcing one; he really was attractive beneath that cool attitude.

"You couldn't be more wrong. I believe that you'll attract a lot of guys with a body like yours, especially in the swimsuit you'll be wearing. You may have some attitude problems, but you're a beautiful woman..." For a second I swore I saw a light pink blush creep onto his features. "Chie."

"Are you trying to convince me to be happy about skipping breakfast by complimenting me, because it isn't working." I flat out lied, as my face was beet red and my stomach was doing some annoying butterfly thing.

"Perhaps, but honestly, I'm just stating my opinion. By the way, you look a lot better without blue contacts. Brown eyes suit you." He stood up, and I soon realized that I'd forgotten to put in my colored contacts. I also hadn't done my hair or makeup, so Kyoya was seeing me with a frizzy lion's mane and wearing sweats. "Now fix yourself up real quick so we can meet everyone at the beach. Your swimsuit should be hanging in your closet."

I was shocked that he didn't think I looked like a monster. I hated the way I looked naturally- I was plain Jane. My long black hair had cascading curls, which would have been great if it wasn't so hard to manage, and my eyes were a basic shade of brown that you could find on any Asian girl. I wasn't special or unique, I was just Chieko. With ice blue contacts and scarlet lipstick I looked exotic and beautiful, and paired with my special workout, I had the perfect body. I never wanted to go back to being the nerdy smart girl who was bullied throughout her life.

*Trying on the swimsuit*

_No way_, I thought,_ I guess I've worn worse, but seriously?_ My bathing suit was, to say the least, not very modest. It was a black bikini with white ruffles, which I guess was made as a play on my normal cute maid uniform I wore to the club. It would've looked way less R rated if it was on someone like Haruhi, who's cute skinny body would make it look innocent and girly, but on someone like me... not so much. I'm what you would describe as curvy, with a tiny waist and a big butt. (there are some things that even jogging an hour a day can't get rid of) I also wear a 34 C, which isn't too big or too small. In others words, I have the body of a sports illustrated model.

The bikini top clung really tight to my figure, and revealed a lot of cleavage. I guess it was a little lewd, but no too over the top, and it wasn't like I had anyone to impress anyways- did I? I instantly thought of what Kyoya would think, and I felt a small blush creep over me. Why did I even care about that stupid attractive glasses man? His opinion didn't matter .

Before leaving the house I pulled a formfitting black tanktop and some beach shorts on, and paired them with some grey flipflops. Looking in the mirror, I realized that my black hair and dark clothes ended up in me seeming punk, but I decided that the bad girl look wasn't all too bad. It was my "theme" of the day. Outside I heard the limousine driver honk.

"Coming!" I yelled, making my way out of the door and into the waiting vehicle. It wasn't until I was sitting down that I realized Kyoya had an eyebrow raised at me. "What?" I questioned.

"It's nothing. You just look a little more rebellious than usual..." He turned his attention back down to his notes, scribbling words that he'd never let anyone read. "Did the bathing suit fit? I didn't really take a look at it, but the twins said it seemed to compliment your personality."

"What do the perverts mean by that?! Are they saying I'm not modest!" I face palmed in exasperation. "No wonder it was so revealing. At first I thought you'd chosen it, but I knew it didn't seem like something you'd approve of."

"You don't think I'd approve? Why is that; is there something wrong with it?"

"You'll see when we get there."

**AT THE BEACH **

"Yay! The ice king and queen made it!" One of the twins yelled, lazily slinging his arm around my right side "Did you like our choice of outfit for you?"

"Buzz off, you perv." I grumbled, suddenly embarrassed and not looking forward to taking off my cover up.

"Oh come on, don't be that way..." He moved even closer towards me to whisper in my ear "I'm actually digging this whole bad girl vibe you're giving off."

"Yeah Chie-chan, I bet you look really cute in your bathing suit. Don't ya think, Mori?" Honey smiled, and the tall Takashi behind him nodded absently.

"Fine, but I'm not wearing this because I like it." I sighed, caving. It was simple impossible to deny the adorable blonde and his fluffy rabbit, especially when he used his puppy dog eyes.

I turned around and took off my shorts, discarding them to the side before trying to pull off my tank top. To my disdain, it got a little stuck around my shoulders, so I had to yank a to get it off. _Well that was graceful and attractive, definitely not oafish at all. They all probably think I look like an idiot. _"Yeah yeah, I know I look stupid, but-" I cut myself off when I turned around and saw their faces.

Honey was staring up at me like I was a beautiful princess, and even Mori looked a little stunned. Both of the twins had this devilish look on their faces that were scaring the crap out of me, and Haruhi's jaw had dropped (his/her gender was still undecided, as I thought it'd be rude to ask) Meanwhile, Tamaki was too busy staring at Haruhi to even look at me, which took as a hint that he/she might actually be a girl (or Tamaki was gay, which actually wouldn't be that suprising). None of their reactions mattered to me though, the only thing that seemed important was the priceless look on Kyoya's face.

I have never seen that glasses man so red in my entire time of knowing him. His eyes were practically bulging out of his head, and I could tell he was having a hard time looking at my face when he said "Ms. Chieko, may I have a word?"

"I don't really feel like it, I kinda just wanna swim." I joked, but when I saw how stony his expression was, I knew he was serious. "Sure, we can talk."

He grabbed me by the arm and pulled me off to the side, and when we were finally out of sight he took a deep breath and sighed. "Chie, that swimsuit shows a lot of skin."

"Yeah, what about it? You put the thing out for me to wear." I rolled my eyes at him, annoyed that he'd take me all the way out here just to tell me something I already knew.

"Did you see the way some of those guys were staring at you? Remember what happened in the gardens with Kaneki? I don't want you to get hurt, Chieko." He looked straight at me with those gorgeous, dark eyes, and I felt the butterflies in my stomach again.

"I'll be fine, you have nothing to worry about. I have the whole club here to protect me." Smiling reassuringly, I had the sudden urge to put my hand on his shoulder as a form of affection. _No, what are you thinking. He's still a stupid glasses man, even if he is being strangely nice._

"Hikaru was staring at you like a piece of meat," He turned away from me to look out at the water "I didn't like it."

I squinted my eyes, who was he to say who can and can't look at me?_Wait a minute, he doesn't care about my safety at all. He just doesn't want other people looking at me. What a jerk, he probably thinks I'll distract the stupid people who want to pay money of something like that. I should've known it was only about the money from the start. _"Wow, Ootori, that's a little selfish. I should have to completely change my outfit, simply because you don't like it? I don't think so. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go have an actual good day at the beach. It is what we're here for, isn't it? Maybe I'll attract lots of people like you said."

With that, I left him standing there. A smirk crossed my face as I thought of all the trouble I was about to cause. _Today is going to be great._

**Once again, thanks to everyone who reviewed. When you review it motivates me to update again. I'm sure we all know what it's like to have a story and only get one review a chapter; it sucks, so that fact that you guys are so entirely awesome and active makes me really happy. R+R and stay tuned, because I have awesome plans for the next chapter**


	6. The Beach- Part 2

**Holy crapola batman! You guys reviewed A LOT! Sadly, that means that I can't reply to all of them, but I just want you all to know that I really appreciate it. Reading your responses to my fic really make me happy, and it honestly means the world to me. I love my fans so much :) **

**For your continued support, I present to you this chapter full of jealousy, cuteness, and lots of fluffy fluff! Enjoy!**

*At the beach***  
**

"So Haruhi, are you going to go swimming?" I asked awkwardly, trying to start a conversation for once. I'd been attempting to be nicer lately, and it honestly was a lot harder than it looked; I never knew what to say or when to say it, or if anyone even cared about what I had to say.

"No, I don't really like to." He/she responded, staring out at the open water. "I actually find it a lot more peaceful just watching, it's really peaceful. I also want to enjoy it while it lasts, because the twins are probably gonna try to drag us out there any minute now."

"If I tell you something, do you promise to not tell anyone?" I whispered, looking into his/her extraordinarily big brown eyes. Haruhi seemed like the kind of person I could trust, and I really just wanted somebody who I could talk to.

"Sure. Tell me anything."

"W-well, it's kind of embarrassing..." I sighed, "but I'm kinda scared of the ocean, and don't know how to swim."

She/he stared at me for a second, with an expression that didn't seem to be as judgmental as it was curious. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about, I'm not that strong of a swimmer myself. I think it's mainly because I'm so skinny the waves easily push me away." She smiled with a sort of charm that made me instantly decide that she was a girl, because I'd never see any boy look that loving and motherly ever. "I'm actually really happy that you'd open up to me, even if it was with something as small as not knowing how to swim. When you first got to the academy, you wouldn't talk to anyone, let alone trust them with your secrets. Thank you for confiding in me."

"N-no problem. You just seem different than most people at this school- probably because you aren't filthy rich, and you actually have to work hard for your money. It makes you a little more down to Earth." I stuttered nervously. _Why is this so hard, it's just me being honest. I guess I'm just not used to having friends._

"You really are a good person, Chieko. I know you have a hard time talking to other people, and I'm guessing it has to to do with something that happened in your past, but I'm here to tell you that you can always talk to me. I'll be right here to listen anytime you need me." She looked back out towards the ocean, sighing wistfully. "The club may seem like a bunch of crazy lunatics, but they will always be there to protect you. We're a family, no matter what. Remember that."

I sat there, stunned. She was completely right. Every time I was upset or sick, they were there to help and comfort me, even when I was rude to them. They didn't mind that I had an attitude sometimes, or that occasionally I'd snap at someone, because to them I was a part of their family; I was more than just some jerky ice queen. For the first time in my life, I had someone there for me. I wasn't alone any more.

"Yo Haruhi! You and Chieko need to come over and feel the water. It's great out here." The twins yelled, waving us over. When we didn't respond, they splashed out of the water and started walking our way, a wide grin spreading on their faces. "If you don't come out willingly, we'll make you."

"Umm... actually" I breathed shakily "I don't really like swimming."

"Why don't you take some of those girls who are ogling over you two instead; Chieko and I are actually having a good conversation." Haruhi replied nonchalantly, looking the two boys in the eyes. Being the little devils that they are, the didn't listen at all.

"Fine, since you won't agree to play with us yourself, we're going to have to force you." They smirked, before one twin actually swept Haruhi bridal style off of her towel, and started carrying her towards the water. He ignored her protests she made and Tamaki chasing after him, yelling about "messing with his daughter."

I stared up at the other twin standing in front of me, his amber eyes bright in the sunlight. A sudden wave of fear completely washed over me- I really didn't want to get in the water. It wasn't that I was afraid of sharks or anything, as I knew the statistic that it was more likely to die of a bee sting than a shark attack, but something about the endless blue expanse really freaked me out. The fact that you couldn't see what was in front of you or beneath you terrified me; it was the unknown that always scared me the most. That's why I had a panic attack when the twin tried to pick me up off the ground and sling me over his shoulder.

"No! Please don't, I really don't want to go in there. Please." I cried, losing it completely. "I'm scared, ok. Tease me all you want, but I'm afraid of the ocean. I don't want to go in there."

I was expecting for him to laugh and ignore me, but instead he gingerly set me back on the ground and stared straight into my eyes, a perplexed look on his face. "Why didn't you say something, silly?" He questioned, still looking at me as though I were a puzzle.

"It's embarrassing, all right," I blushed bright red "and I didn't want you to make fun of me."

"Well gosh, I may joke around a lot, but I'm not entirely insensitive." He scratched the back of his head. "If you want I can help you get over your fear. Ya know, just walk with you in the shallow part, not anything you aren't ok with."

"Thanks, Hikaru." I smiled genuinely, happy that he was so understanding. It definitely wasn't the behavior I'd originally expect from him. But when I looked up, I realized that his usual smirk was wiped off his face and had been replaced by a shocked expression. "What? Do I have something on my face?" I asked, wiping at me chin.

"How do you know if I'm Kaoru or not?" He completely ignored my second question, and was still looking at me with those surprised eyes.

"I just do. You two have different voices, and you're a lot louder. You may look identical, but you have separate personalities entirely." I rolled my eyes at how surprised he was that I could differentiate them. It really wasn't a big deal. "Now let's go wade in the shallow water together."

"Will do, captain." He chuckled, taking my hand in his. This small act of affection shocked me a little bit, as no one had ever really held my hand before, and I felt baby butterflies in my stomach; the same kind I felt when I was around Kyoya.

**No POV**

"Those two are awfully close, aren't they? I've never seen Hikaru act so playful around someone who wasn't me." Kaoru laughed, sitting down next to Haruhi and Kyoya in a foldable chair. "They've been in the water for a long time."

"I'm surprised that she's out so deep. She was completely against it at first, but it seems as though he helped her get over her fear." Haruhi smiled, proud that Chieko was making friends.

"Hika-chan, put me down!" They heard Chieko squeal in the distance, which seemed extremely out of character for her. She usual wasn't playful at all.

Kyoya just sat there, a strange feeling coming over him as he watched the red head sweep the bright eyed girl off her feet and wipe a strand of hair behind her ears. This gave him the sudden urge to hurt someone, and made him curious as to what the two were talking about out in the water. Not to mention the fact that he had his hands all over her in that skimpy bathing suit.

*Kyoya's inner mind theater*

"Oh Hika-chan, you're so strong and muscley and attractive! Let's get married!"

"And then we'll have a honey moon in Paris! We can get a hotel room with a big bed and..."

*end le theater*

Both Haruhi and Kaoru raised there eyebrows when Kyoya stood up suddenly, flames burning in his eyes. "I'm gonna go check up on some bank notes," the shadow king grumbled ominously, before storming off towards the hotel room.

**At the Hotel (back in Chieko's POV)**

"I knew you were a girl!" I yelled triumphantly when Haruhi came out of the bathroom in her pink night gown, which looked extraordinarily cute on her. "You look adorable."

"Oh yeah, I forgot we didn't tell you about my gender. Long story short, I dress as a boy so I can be a host and pay off my debts to the club" She chuckled lightly, looking me over. "and you're night gown looks very nice on you as well."

I'd brought along my knee length white sleeping dress, which paired with my long black hair, gave me the same effect of Sawako from the Ring. "You really like it? I was just going to use it to scare the twins while they were sleeping, since they always prank us. I wanted to give them a taste of their own medicine."

"I'm not going to approve of any mischief, but the definitely would deserve it. Now let's head down for dinner, we're having crab legs!" The brunette's mouth watered as she imagined the delicious shellfish, and a happy feeling suddenly came over me- it was nice to have a friend. Maybe people weren't that bad after all.

"Haru-chan, you look so cute," Honey smiled widely, "and you look like a really pretty ghost, Chie-chan!"

"Thanks, senpai." Haruhi replied casually, before taking a seat by Tamaki. I looked down the entire table, and saw an empty chair in between Hikaru and Kyoya.

"Hey Kyoya, hey Hikaru." I greeted with a grin. Hikaru replied with a smirk, but Kyoya just grumbled silently.

_Is he still mad at me from the whole bathing suit thing earlier? I thought we were over that. Whatever, if he wants to be a whiny baby he can, and I'm not gonna let it affect my dinner. _I ended up spending most of the meal making jokes with Hikaru, as Kyoya left about half way through to take a shower. I was kind of upset that he was acting so distant, but I pushed the thought to the back of my mind, and instead enjoyed my time with my new friend.

Hikaru was actually really cool, even though he was a bit short tempered and sarcastic. I think we only got along so well, because we both had a hard time communicating our feelings, and really understood how the other felt. When we were in the water, he told me that there was nothing to worry about as long as he was there. He promised that if anything tried to hurt me, he'd hurt it. It was nice to have someone there. I kinda thought that maybe it was better being with a person than being by myself, as I wouldn't have faced my fear if I'd been alone.

"Hey Chieko, do you want the rest of your crab legs?" Hikaru asked, but before I could answer, Kaoru leaned over his brother and took the food off my plate.

"What're you doing?!" I yelled in protest. "I didn't say yes yet!"

"Yeah, but I figured you would." He smirked devilishly, sharing MY food with his twin.

"Ugh, I've had enough of you two idiots." I said standing up. "I'm going to go take a shower."

I walked up the stairs and down the hall, taking a left at the intersection. _Kyoya did say my room was to the left, right? Or was it the other way? _I decided to stick to my gut and go to the left. When I got to the room, I stripped down and took a towel off of the nightstand. _How convenient; it was already laid out for me. _

Before heading into the bathroom, I looked at the mirror on the wall. It still shocked me every time I saw myself- the long black ponytail and bright blue eyes. I still remembered when I looked in that mirror and hated myself, when all I wanted to do with disappear. Yet now that I was beautiful, I didn't feel any different, I just felt emptier. Was it bad that I missed the chubby girl who used to frown back at me? The girl who wore thick glasses and who's hair hid most of her face. She was so sad, so naive, so trusting... she loved easily, and it came back to hurt her.

Slowly, I reached up and took out my blue contacts, and then pulled out my rubber band to let my hair fall all around my face. It wasn't the same though, and no matter how much I wanted to go back to the way I was before, I couldn't. A silent tear rolled down my cheek, and I realized that even though I thought making myself look better on the outside would make me happy, I was still sad. I'd sacrificed my inner beauty for my outer appearance, and now I disliked myself more than ever. That blue-eyed, red lipped girl in the mirror wasn't me. She was a stranger. The real me had died a long time ago, and I'd killed her.

"Ms. Chieko? What are you doing in here, and where are your clothes?" I heard a voice behind me ask, which I instantly recognized as Kyoya. Then I remembered that I wasn't wearing anything but a towel, and I blushed from head to toe, while trying to wipe the tears off my cheeks. I didn't want him to see me crying. "Are you crying?"

"I'm sorry, I was gonna take a shower, but I guess I went into the wrong room. I'll leave." I quickly grabbed my clothes off the floor and tried to rush out the room, but to my shock I felt a hand wrap around my wrist, stopping me.

"Wait!" He called, and there was a hint of something I'd never heard in his voice; his tone was almost desperate. "Go into the bathroom and put your clothes back on, and I want to talk to you when you come out.

Looking into those dark grey eyes with my deep brown, I felt something click. Something almost magical, and I didn't know quite how to describe it other than a voice telling me to listen to him. I could almost see into his soul at that moment, and I could tell he could see into mine too.

It felt right.

**2 updates in one day, you're welcome XD Anyways, I hope you guys liked this chapter! **

**I know that this chapter had a lot of Hikaru, but I just love him, and I couldn't help it. By the way, I have a quick question: do you want Chieko to end up with Kyoya or Hikaru? I could always add more details about her and Hikaru, and make this an OCXHikaru fic. **

**Then again, Kyoya and Chieko are still made for each other.**

**So leave a review or a PM. Hikaru of Kyoya?**

**Up next- Beach: part 3**


	7. The Beach- Part 3

**Sheesh, you guys really like Kyoya. I've decided that this will be an OCXKyoya fic. **

**ATTENTION: I will be updating a lot slower over the next week or two, because I'll be busy moving and adjusting to a new school/atmosphere. Please be patient with me, and I'll try my hardest to write chapters as fast as possible :)**

As I donned my clothes, I couldn't help but to wonder what it was that Kyoya wanted to talk about. _He's probably mad at me for the whole bathing suit thing... what if he's so angry that he kicks me out of his house? Where will I stay? I'll probably have to get a job and rent my own apartment like before, but there's no way I could maintain a career while still participating in club activities. _I shook myself out of my thoughts, remembering that I knew this would happen from the moment I arrived at the academy. This was precisely the reason why I didn't want to get close to anyone- it wouldn't last. There was no such thing as long term happiness for me, and there never would be.

Yet as I thought about the people I'd come to know over the last month, I realized that I didn't want to lose them. Sure, they were a bunch of preppy snobs, but at the same time they were so much more than that; family, friends, shoulders to lean on. People I could trust. I didn't want to let them go.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly opened the bathroom door. Kyoya was sitting in a yellow chair in the middle of the room, his hair messy and a towel nonchalantly wrapped around his shoulders. I tried to ignore the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt, and the insane butterflies in the pit of my stomach. When I walked in he looked up at me with those stormy eyes, but the expression on his face wasn't one of anger as I'd expected, but rather one of sadness.

"Chieko, what are your feelings for Hikaru?" He cut straight to the point, his tone laced with something bitter.

"I don't know," I replied, wondering how the twin had anything to do with why Kyoya was upset. "he's cool, I guess."

""Hmmm..." He paused, a brooding look on his face, as though he were choosing his words very carefully. "are you attracted to him, by any chance?"

I felt myself blush at his statement, and realized that I was unsure how to answer. Sure, Hikaru was a good looking guy, but I saw him more as a friend than anyone else. Besides, I wasn't looking for a relationship, and didn't think that I'd ever find someone who I'd want to date. "I mean, I can't deny the fact that he's appealing to the eye, but that's expected since he's a host. In all honesty, he's so far into the friend zone that there isn't anyway to come out."

A look of relief seemed to wash over the shadow king's face, and all of a sudden I was even more confused. Why did he care about my opinion of the twin? _It's probably just some stupid rule that two club members can't date. Poor Haruhi and Tamaki, they're completely meant to be, even if they can't see it themselves. It's be a shame if they never got together. _

"Ms. Chieko, you cost me a lot of money today." Kyoya stood up from his chair suddenly, taking a sip from the water bottle in his hand. I then watched as he sauntered towards the light switch, his raven hair hiding his eyes. "A lot of the girls didn't get their time with Hikaru,

due to the fact that the two of you were... playing in the water. In all, it's a total of 600,00 yen." He then turned the lights out, and a blanket of darkness fell over the room.

"What are you doing turning the lights out, you crazy glasses man." I chuckled nervously, but my laughter stop when he gave me an eerily seductive look.

"If you want, you can pay me back with your body." He smirked sexily, and a knot formed in my belly. This didn't seem like the Kyoya I knew, the cool guy who kept the club in check, and it was scaring me. _What the fuck is going on?!_

That's when he grabbed my wrist, yanking me in his direction and throwing me on the bed. Before I knew it, I was pinned beneath him, and I couldn't move at all. Flashbacks of the day in garden with Kaneki appeared in my mind, and I knew this wasn't right- it couldn't be. As much as the annoying glasses man got on my nerves, he would never do this to me.

"You should fix that whole wearing whatever I want in public naivete of yours, and now it's your fault for being too defenseless." He stared down at me, his hair enshrouding his face. And then it hit me; the reason why he was doing this was to teach me that I needed to be more careful about what I wore, or something bad would happen to me again, and he might not always be there to help me.

"You aren't gonna do anything, you idiot." I smirked at the perplexed look that appeared on his face. "You have nothing to gain from sleeping with me, and even if you did, you aren't that kind of person."

"You're right, but may I ask what kind of person you think I am?" He questioned, staring down at me with those incredible grey eyes. I knew that he had nice eyes, but I could never really see them clearly with his glasses on. Now I could see just how beautiful they were.

""You did all of this just to try and show me what can happen if I'm not careful; you villianized yourself in order to ensure my safety. I'm afraid that makes you a nice guy." I winked, and saw him smile wholeheartedly. It was one of those rare smiles that he only gave occasionally, the ones that filled me with waves of joy. "You're also a snobby, money-hungry know-it-all. Sorry, but the only compliments I give are backhanded. You should know that by now."

Then, he laughed. It started from the pit of his stomach, deep and loud, and then it morphed into something light and happy, like chimes in the wind. Before I knew it, I was laughing with him, and somehow it was different than any moment I'd ever shared with him. It just felt so natural; an unfiltered form of happiness that I'd never felt in my entire life.

"Chie..." He whispered, looking into my eyes. That's when I remembered that he still had me pinned down, his strong body towering over me. I could smell the scent of his cologne and hear the steady beat of his heart, and all of a sudden the moment felt more intimate than before. A red blush rising to my cheeks, I felt my own heart beat quicken, and a feeling of self consciousness washed over me. What if he thought I looked ugly without all of my makeup? He seemed to sense this, and took all of my doubts away from me. "you really are a beautiful woman, and anyone would be crazy to think otherwise."

"You aren't half bad yourself, Ootori." I replied, making a big show of looking him up and down.

"Hey Kyoya, do you have any lotion? I got burned real bad out there." Tamaki came bursting into the room, and both Kyoya and I snapped our heads toward him. Even in the dark, I could tell how red the blonde blushed, and the look on his face was priceless. "W-what's going on here?"

"It really isn't what it looks like-" I began, but Kyoya cut me off by gently taking my hand in his and pulling me off of the bed with him.

"I was just showing Ms. Chieko to her room, you big idiot." He threw over his shoulder as we walked out of the room, completely ignoring Tamaki's dumbfounded expression.

I don't really know how to describe how I felt at that moment, but all I can say is that I wasn't really thinking. I didn't care about any of the people who'd hurt me before, or the fact that I was putting myself in the position to lose someone else. In fact, I wasn't even sure what my feelings for the shadow king were, but I decided that it wasn't the night for logic. I just wanted to enjoy myself for once. _Maybe life doesn't hate me that much. _

When we finally made it down the hall and took the right to my bedroom, I looked up at the boy standing by me. He was smart and beautiful and snobby and annoying all at once, and I honestly didn't know how that made me feel. All I knew is that I didn't want to let go of his hand.

"Well, I believe that this is good night." He muttered, and I searched his face for some sign that he was feeling the same way I was. "I apologize for snapping at you earlier, I'll be sure that it won't happen in the future. Sleep well, Chieko."

"Oh, you too." I frowned, unhappy with his response for some reason. I didn't know why, but I wanted so much more; it was like everything reached a high point and then just dropped to nothing.

I turned away from him, opening the door to my bedroom and closing it quickly behind me. _What is going on? What am I doing? I'm not aloud to feel this way about anybody, I don't want to get too close. I can't hurt again. _This wasn't supposed to be happening, not to a girl like me. I'd never gotten what I'd wanted, and there was just something too good to be true about this.

***flashback 8 years ago***

"YOU STUPID BITCH!" I heard my daddy yelling at my sister, Umieko, followed by a loud crash.

I was sitting in the bathroom with the door locked like Umi had told me, warm tears rolling down my cheeks. Every fabric of my being wanted to be down there to help her, and even though I knew I was too little to do anything, I was tired of just hiding away and letting her get hurt; I wanted to be a hero. I felt the fear eat into me even more with every single pained yell I heard coming from my older sister, and I knew that Daddy was going to do something really bad if he wasn't stopped.

"HELP!" The final piercing shriek rang through the house, before absolute silence filled the empty halls. In the back of my mind, I knew that he'd killed her, but I didn't want to believe it. She couldn't be gone, she was the only person in the world who loved me. She was the last good thing I had left in that cruel world.

In desperate need to see if she was ok, I scrambled to get the bathroom door open and ran down the stairs. When I made it to the last step, I knew I'd made a mistake. There lay her body: lifeless and pale, like all of the color had been slowly drained away from her once bright features. Daddy stood over it ominously, a crazed look in his eyes that I hadn't quite seen before.

"Come over here and clean up this mess." He growled dangerously, looking at me as though I were garbage. When I refused to budge, he grabbed me by the neck and threw me on the ground. "I said clean it up you fucking moron!"

My muscles ached from the landing, but I still wouldn't allow myself to listen to him. I didn't want to touch sissy. I didn't want to think that she was gone. I thought that I deserved it a little bit more each time he hit me, I thought that it was my fault she died. I should've come down earlier and let him take his anger out on me, she should've been the one hiding... I shouldn't have been alive. I didn't deserve it. As my world slowly started to fade to black, I remembered every time Umi had kept me safe, and I knew that from then on out I needed to be stronger. For her.

I woke up in the hospital, and the doctors told me that the neighbors had heard the screams and called the cops. Daddy had been life sentenced for murder. I would have to go live with my rich grandfather out in the country, and I would receive counseling twice a week. They were astounded that I'd survived the blows my father had given me; they said it was a miracle, but they couldn't be more wrong. Living through that was a curse.

Good things didn't happen to me, and they wouldn't. I wasn't aloud to be happy, and I'd never allow myself that luxury while knowing that I could've saved Umieko, and I could've taken her place. She was prettier and nicer than I ever would be, and she deserved to live way more than I did.

I was useless.

**Ok, here was a look into Chieko's past. I know it's a little dark, but I had to give a reason why she was always so hesitant to trust. Anyways, R+R and review :D I'll try to make the next chapter as fast as possible for you guys**


	8. Chapter 8

**I am sad to say that this story had a 90.9% chance of being cancelled, due to the fact that someone called Chieko a Mary-Sue. I tried really hard not to make her one, and I guess I failed, so I apologize to everyone. I didn't realize. The last thing I wanted was for this fic to just be another cliche, but apparently it is. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, you really made me happy, and I couldn't thank you enough.**

****I thought that since Chieko had all of those problems, she wasn't Mary Sue, but I was wrong. ****

****I'm sorry guys.****

****There's a chance that I'll continue this, as I already wrote what I intended to be chapter 8, but I honestly doubt I'll update again. I don't want to be known as the writer of crappy, cliche stories. ****

****As a thank you gift to my fans, I'm posting the beginning or the chapter I was about to post. Enjoy!****

****~Fallyn (AKA Falbreezy)****

"Hey Chieko, did you do your math homework last night?" Asked Kagura Sake, the who sat in front of me. We'd never really talked both, other than the times when she'd visit the host club, but those were rare occasions. She also happened to be one of the few people at Ouran who wasn't terrified of me.

"Yeah. Why?" I replied, looking at the pages of calculus I'd rushed to finish a few minutes before class; procrastination was my number one talent.

"Can I see it for a minute? I know you're really smart, and I just want to check my answers." She questioned with a bright smile, and I nodded my head in response. It wasn't that big of a deal to share answers, and I wasn't much of a saint myself, so why not help a neighbor out?

As she took the paper off of my desk, I could feel two eyes boring into the back of my head. I turned around to see Kyoya shaking his head in disapproval, as if I was committing a crime by letting someone look at my homework. I didn't understand why he cared so much, he didn't get anything out of me being a good student. _He'll probably nag to me later about my behavior affecting the way the club looks or something. He's such a goody two shoes, always sucking up to the teachers and doing all of his work on time... it gets on my nerves._

We hadn't really talked much since that night...


End file.
